The Five Scarves - Elemental Control Part 3
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 3 of 5) With the last of the Elementals defeated, Hanna and Rob can relax and return to their normal lives. But the temptations of the Crystals' powers prove hard to resist, and they begin to explore their new-found abilities...
1. Chapter 1

A week after defeating the two surviving Elementals, life for Hanna and Rob had returned to some semblance of normality. The extra security precautions installed the day after discovering the symbol in the restaurant were no longer necessary, and had been removed. And while they had no missions, and the wealth taken from the Elementals would sustain them for some time, they did keep their skills sharp with a few minor night raids on reasonably wealthy businesses in Shang Mu.

But Rob had noticed a slight change in Hanna. At first, he put it down to simply being concerned for her, and therefore didn't say anything. However, this morning would be different.

* * *

"Do we have anything planned for today?" Hanna asks as she helps Rob clear up after breakfast.

"Not that I can think of," Rob answers. "Why?"

"No reason. Though I may go for a walk later."

"Where to?"

"Somewhere," Hanna shrugs.

"Anywhere in particular?"

"Not decided yet."

"Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me?"

"I'm not," Hanna assures Rob. "I'm just… in an odd mood, that's all."

"OK," Rob replies. _I'll play along for now, but if you take your Crystal, then I'll _know_ something's going on. _

* * *

A few hours later, with Hanna out 'somewhere', Rob keeps himself busy repairing and rebuilding his shuriken rifle. Choosing not to wear his double-baldric, the Metal Crystal instead sits free on the table. _I really should lock that thing in the safe._ Rob redoubles his focus on his work, but his attention keeps diverting to the Crystal.

While reassembling the firing mechanism, Rob finds his attention distracted at just the wrong moment; the mechanism suddenly releases its pent-up energy, disassembling in the process, scattering parts around the den. One part almost hits Rob in the eye.

_Right; that darn Crystal's getting locked away._ Rob jumps up, snatches the Crystal from the table, and strides upstairs, to the safe next to the weapons chest in the bedroom. He wastes no time entering the combination and opening the safe. He tosses the Crystal inside haphazardly; it clatters around the Wood, Earth and Water Crystals. Rob shuts the safe door; a spin of the dial, and the Crystal is securely locked away.

Rob returns to the den; he pauses at the door. _I knew this would happen; I want to go back and get the Crystal._ A couple of steps into the room; he pauses again. _The temptation _is_ very strong… No Rob, you're doing the right thing; leave the Crystal where it is._ Rob closes his eyes, takes a couple of deep breaths, and opens his eyes again. Feeling much calmer, he retrieves all the components of the scattered firing mechanism, returning them to the table.

With a sigh, Rob realises he's still under temptation. _It's almost like that darn Crystal is calling out to me._ Struggling to relax, Rob elects to go outside and get some fresh air.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Rob heads back inside. He gets a cold drink from the kitchen, then returns to rebuilding the rifle. For the remainder of the day, he doesn't think about the Metal Crystal.


	2. Chapter 2

Early evening, and Rob has finished working on the rifle. Relaxing with a chilled drink, he waits for Hanna to return home. _This is turning out to be one very long walk; where are you Hanna?_ The front door clicks open; Rob turns to see Hanna trudging into the den, looking a little worse for wear.

"You've been out all day; where on Avalice have you been?" Rob asks, concern lending his voice a slightly aggressive yet caring tone. "And what happened to you?"

"I must have gotten myself lost," Hanna replies dismissively.

"You never get lost."

"There's always a first time."

Rob eyes Hanna suspiciously. "You've been trying to use the Crystal."

"And what if I have? I see you're not wearing yours."

"You know I'm worried about what they're doing to us," Rob explains. "I want to be sure I can do without for a while."

"And you know they pose no risk to us," Hanna retorts. "They've saved our lives twice already. Three times in my case."

"But with the Elementals now gone, we don't need to keep using them."

"That's your choice; I've made a different one."

"How can you be so casual about it?"

"Because," Hanna replies curtly, "I'm in control."

"Then explain the singed fur on your hands."

Hanna looks at her hands; the exposed fur on every finger and thumb shows signs of charring. "That? It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Rob counters. "That's you almost losing control."

"Only by making mistakes can you learn. You know that as well as I do."

Rob closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. _This argument is going nowhere fast._ "Look," he continues, opening his eyes, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm just concerned about your safety and well-being."

"I know," Hanna sighs. "But you don't need to be."

"Wouldn't be much of a boyfriend if I didn't though."

Hanna pauses for thought. "I cannot deny that," she agrees.

"Just… be careful. That's all I ask." A moment's silence. "Anyway," Rob continues, "I guess you're pretty hungry."

"Now you mention it…"


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next three days, Hanna spends most of the daylight hours in her mystery location, attempting to tap into the power of the Fire Crystal. Each day, she returns with a bit more singed fur. And each day, Rob re-expresses his concern that Hanna is not in as much control as she maintains she is. On the fourth day, Rob decides to follow Hanna and keep an eye on her. But he doesn't want her to know.

* * *

"Off again?" Rob asks after breakfast, as Hanna heads to the front door.

"Of course," Hanna responds.

"When will you be back?"

"Sunset."

* * *

Half an hour later, Rob decides enough time has elapsed for him to follow Hanna without her knowing. _The question is, should I take the Metal Crystal, just in case? I've been doing well; the Crystal has stayed in the safe since I put it there four days ago. But then if Hanna does lose control, I may need its protection._ A moment's thought. _No, I'll leave it locked away._

Rob exits the house, and pauses as he tries to figure out which way Hanna had gone. _Now the real challenge: track someone who is a naturally talented tracker, and trained to hide her own tracks._

* * *

The tracking did prove as difficult as Rob had feared, but eventually, by mid-afternoon, he'd finally tracked Hanna down. _The old Elemental compound? Interesting choice Hanna._ Rob stays hidden in the treeline; he tries to find a good vantage point, but he cannot get a good view. _I'll have to watch from the treetops._ Rob scrambles up a tree at the front of the treeline; he can finally get a good view.

Hanna is meditating in the centre of the debris of the three former buildings; she has a dozen wooden targets lined up at the periphery of the central area. The targets are unscarred, although there are noticeable scorch marks on the surrounding ground and rubble.

_This isn't making me think you're in control of that Crystal._ As Rob watches on, he notices a faint glow start to form around Hanna. _This looks interesting._ The glow intensifies; Hanna rises to her feet as if lifted by an invisible assistant. She holds her hands out in front of her; the glow fades around her body, flowing and collecting between her hands in an expanding fireball. _That explains the singed fingers._

Suddenly, with a flick of her wrists, Hanna flings the fireball at one of the wooden targets; it strikes off-centre, but it still hits the target, immolating it in seconds. Hanna's celebration is brief but flamboyant; moments later, she's summoning more fireballs, and firing them with ever-increasing speed and accuracy. Once all twelve targets have been reduced to piles of charcoal and ash, Hanna turns to face the treeline.

"I told you I'm in control!" she shouts, looking directly at Rob. "You can come out now!"


	4. Chapter 4

"How did you know I was up there?" Rob asks, having joined Hanna in the middle of the clearing in the debris.

"Your big grey face shows up really well against foliage," Hanna teases. "Plus your ears were like two flags."

"And red, orange, and white blends in any better?" Rob retorts.

"If I get it right, I just look like a really big piece of fruit," Hanna grins.

"Are you alright? I've seen you get floaty before, but this is a whole new level."

"Did I just reduce twelve wooden targets to charcoal and ash without touching them?"

"It's an impressive feat, there's no doubt about that." Rob pauses for a moment. "Wait, why aren't you angry I was spying on you?"

"To be honest," Hanna replies, "I'm surprised it's taken you this long to do so. In fact, I thought you'd followed me two days ago. I even combed the treeline to try and find you. It was a little disappointing when you weren't there."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Huh."

"So now you've seen how easy it is," Hanna continues, "I bet you want to learn how to master yours now."

"I'm still not convinced," Rob doubts. "After all, you almost burned your hands off several times."

"That's because I've been playing with fire-"

"Literally."

"Shush. Anyway, I've been playing with fire, but you won't be."

"I'm not sure metal is any safer."

"It can't burn you."

"Yeah, but it could slice bits off."

"This'll protect me," Hanna assures, patting her Fire Crystal.

"From razor-sharp metal or amputated fingers?" Rob asks.

"Yes," Hanna replies with a cheeky grin.

"It's a tempting proposition," Rob admits.

"But you still have doubts," Hanna observes. "It's clear from your expression."

"Yeah."

"You'll come round soon enough."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"You won't be able to resist," Hanna winks.

"It's starting to get late" Rob observes, changing the subject. "We should probably head home."

"Agreed; let's go."

"…and I suppose it can't hurt to try."

"Tomorrow morning?"

"OK."


	5. Chapter 5

The following morning, Rob joins Hanna on the balcony; she already has the Metal Crystal sat in front of her on the decking. Rob sits cross-legged by the Crystal, opposite Hanna.

"Ready?" Hanna asks.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Rob sighs.

"Then let's begin."

Rob hesitantly reaches out and gingerly picks up the Metal Crystal with his fingertips; a satisfying pulse of energy runs through his nervous system. With a small smile, Rob secures the Crystal in his double-baldric.

"It feels good to be wearing this again," he comments quietly.

"Did you miss it?" Hanna asks.

"Of course," Rob confirms.

"Thought so." Hanna pauses a moment. "Now, clear your mind, and focus on the Crystal. Feel its energy flow through you; given enough time and effort, you'll be able to control it as if it's part of your body."

"You do realise how corny that sounds?" Rob asks quizzically.

"Yes. Now shush and do as I say."

Rob closes his eyes, blanks his mind, and slips into a deep meditation. In seconds, he feels the power of the Crystal start to creep through his veins; he feels a rush of adrenalin. In his excitement, he starts to lose focus; a few moments later, he is woken from his meditation by the loud crash of glass.

Opening his eyes with a sigh, Rob sees Hanna lying flat on her back, shielded by a thin sheet of flame. Looking around reveals that's not the only change; the glass of the balcony windows has been shattered, and the rail is studded with numerous razor-sharp metal shards.

"You got excited, didn't you?" Hanna admonishes, dispersing the flame shield and sitting up.

"A bit, yeah," Rob admits.

"And you've filled the bedroom with glass and shrapnel."

Rob curses in frustration.

"I think it's best we move this away from the house," Hanna suggests. "We'll continue tomorrow; I think you should spend the rest of today cleaning up your mess."

"You're not going to help?"

"If it wasn't for my Crystal, I'd be a pincushion right now. And slightly dead."

"Touché."


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Hanna and Rob decamp to the former Elemental compound once more, partly to have a bit more room, but mostly because Rob didn't want to spend six hours clearing yet more shrapnel embedded all over the balcony and bedroom again.

"I've set up a dozen targets, same as I did for my own training," Hanna informs. "Just let me find somewhere to hide before you let loose again."

"That's probably for the best," Rob agrees.

Hanna sprints behind a large piece of fallen masonry, leaving Rob to begin his meditations. The idea proves a good one; Rob makes the same mistake as the previous day, scattering shrapnel across the entire site. Hanna peeks round the edge of her shelter.

"A little less grenade-like than yesterday, but still not great," she calls.

* * *

The third day of Rob's training. Progress is made; Rob's meditations are calmer and more focussed, resulting in a smaller spread of shrapnel. But Rob still cannot control the spread well enough; the most focussed blast shreds six targets at once.

"Getting better," Hanna observes at the end of the day, "but still a little indiscriminate."

"It'll work against a charging squad at least," Rob counters.

"And how many times has a squad charged us?"

"The Elemental guards did. As did those robots."

"Not exactly usual occurrences though, are they?"

* * *

The fourth day of Rob's training. The spread of the shrapnel bursts is getting better; Rob can now constrain the burst to hit a single target. Through the day, his aim improves, as does the speed of forming the attacks. By evening, his aim is true, and his attacks swift. But he's still not in full control.

* * *

The fifth day of Rob's training. This time, Hanna doesn't shelter behind thick masonry.

"Remember: don't think," she coaches. "Just _feel_."

"I see we're back to sounding corny," Rob retorts.

"Shush. Now practise."

* * *

By the evening of the fifth day, Rob has mastered the use of the Metal Crystal. His attacks are swift, brutal, and pinpoint accurate. Eleven of the targets have neat holes drilled through the bulls-eyes.

"Before you pierce the last target," Hanna interrupts, "I want to make one small adjustment."

"What adjustment?" Rob asks.

Hanna doesn't answer; she walks over to the remaining target, and stands directly in front of it.

"Now shoot," she challenges.

"Are you _mad?_" Rob exclaims.

"We'll know in a minute. Now shush, and let's see how good you _really_ are…"

Rob closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. _I know you're protected by the Fire Crystal, but I still don't want to do this._

"I'm _waiting_!" Hanna teases, tapping her foot, mockingly drawing out the vowels in 'waiting'.

_Is that from something? Anyway, doesn't matter; now, let's see if I can control this well enough._ Rob focusses and unleashes an attack, aiming directly at Hanna's heart; he closes his eyes before the shrapnel hits.

"Did I hit you?" Rob asks a moment later.

"Huh," Hanna teases, "I guess I _do_ look good spiky."

"Be serious," Rob sighs.

"Take a look," Hanna responds.

Rob opens one eye; what he sees surprises him. Opening both eyes fully, he notices Hanna has stepped aside; the target has a perfect Hanna-shaped outline made from shrapnel.

"In the name of the Ancients," Rob breathes, tingling from the dopamine hit. "_Wow_."


	7. Chapter 7

Late evening, back at home, after dinner, Hanna and Rob are relaxing on the sofa together, watching the late evening news. Hanna is still wearing her double-baldric, Fire Crystal secured within; Rob's lies on the table, Metal Crystal alongside.

"Isn't that the guy we tried to kill six weeks ago?" Hanna asks, as a familiar face appears in the coverage.

"So it is," Rob confirms. "Seems he's upgraded security."

"We could still do it."

"True; the bounty is still up for grabs. So long as no ginger-haired dogs with superpowers show up."

"We have superpowers of our own now though."

"Are you seriously suggesting you'd use the Fire Crystal for a long-distance assassination?" Rob asks incredulously.

"I was thinking close quarters," Hanna replies.

"You wouldn't be able to get close enough, not with that level of security."

"Collateral damage."

"I do hope that's a joke. And if it is, it's not a good one."

"Of course it's a joke," Hanna assures. "And thinking about it, it was in pretty poor taste."

"Can I ask a favour?" Rob asks a moment later.

"What favour?"

"Lock the Fire Crystal away for a few days. Don't wear it."

"Why?"

"Because I fear its power is corrupting you."

"It isn't."

"Prove it."

"Don't you trust me?" Hanna asks, a little hurt.

"Of course I do," Rob assures. "It's the Crystal I don't trust."

"Even after all this time?"

"Please, just humour me on this."

"As you wish," Hanna sighs; she stands, removes her double-baldric, complete with Crystal, and tosses it onto the table. Rob takes both Crystals upstairs, and secures them in the safe. A minute later, he returns to the den to find Hanna fidgeting on the sofa.

"The withdrawal symptoms will fade soon enough," Rob assures.

"I feel naked without my Crystal," Hanna mutters.

"Want a drink?"

Hanna nods, still uneasy.

A few moments later, Rob returns from the kitchen with a fresh hot chocolate with a double-helping of marshmallows. Hanna takes a long draught; it helps to calm her nerves.

"I can almost hear the Crystal calling to me," she mumbles.

"That's just your mind playing tricks on you," Rob assures, retaking his seat.

"Maybe."

"Just relax, and don't think about it."

Hanna finishes her drink; she places the cup on the table, and curls up on the sofa, her head in Rob's lap.


	8. Chapter 8

Five days later, Hanna and Rob are on the same roof they chose seven weeks previously; they have been hired once again to assassinate Mayor Zao's main political opponent. Being on a mission, they both elected to wear their Crystals, just in case.

"No wind today," Hanna observes, tracking their target through her binoculars.

"None at all?" Rob checks, fine-tuning the sights of his shuriken rifle.

"Not even the slightest hint; all the flags are totally limp."

"Good; keeps things simple."

Rob settles down, and finds his target via the scope; Hanna keeps track of the surrounding retinue.

"That's a big retinue," Hanna mutters.

"They can't surround him forever," Rob assures.

A few moments later: "They're dispersing," Hanna reports. "Get ready."

"Way ahead of you," Rob breathes, scope centred on the target.

The target approaches the podium in the centre of the stage. Rob breathes in, holds for a moment, slowly breathes out, and squeezes the trigger. The mechanism clicks; the shuriken is propelled from the rail at very high speed, hissing quietly through the air, tracking directly on target.

A sparkling purple comet erupts from the crowd, deflecting the shuriken harmlessly onto a nearby rooftop.

Rob, cursing almost inaudibly, wastes no time in packing the rifle away. As he makes to leave, he notices Hanna hasn't moved; she is shrouded in a broiling cloak of flame, growling loudly, the charred and molten remains of her binoculars pooled on the floor in front of her.

"Hanna!" Rob cries in alarm. "We have to go!"

"_No!_" Hanna growls aggressively; the deep undertone to her voice worries Rob.

"We have no choice!"

Hanna rises to her feet, lifted by an invisible force; her hands are obscured by dense fireballs. Her growling gets louder and more primal. She raises her hands to fire-

"_HANNA!_" Rob yells as loud as he can manage. "_STOP IT! NOW!_"

Hanna pauses. "_I can do this! You know I can!_"

"_You said you were in control!_"

"_I AM in control!_"

"_Then STOP!_"

Hanna's growling becomes erratic; the fireballs surrounding her tightly clenched fists dissipate in a brilliant flare. Hanna sinks to her knees; her growling starts to be punctuated with gentle sobs. After a few moments, the flame aura disperses, leaving behind a weeping fox.

"Hanna?" Rob asks softly.

"I'm sorry," Hanna sobs, voice now normal, but very fragile.

"I understand. We'll talk about it later; right now, we need to run."

The foiled assassins sprint across the rooftops; just moments later, the Shang Mu security forces arrive to find only a solidified puddle of plastic and metal, surrounded by extensive scorching.


End file.
